SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ The Indiana Department of Revenue is asking some taxpayers due refunds to take an online quiz to verify their identities as part of an effort to stop criminals filing bogus tax returns.
Agency spokesman Bob Dittmer says the agency added the security step after discovering about 1,500 attempts to try to file fraudulent tax returns in the state last year.
The state has contracted with Lexis-Nexis to check whether basic identity information provided by taxpayers owed refunds matches information on various databases.
Dittmer says those that fall into the questionable category are asked to take the test that takes less than three minutes. Dittmer says the revenue department so far this year has stopped more than 2,000 attempts by bogus filers seeking to claim $3.7 million in refunds.
